Special Interests
The River Trails Park District offers numerous activities for youth and teens! Check out our current special interest class and Parkour Programs. Youth also enjoy our summer camps, dance and athletic programming.
Young Magicians
Join us for a fun night of magic and mystery! Magic tricks will be taught that include cards, coins, ropes, and much more! You will discover that the tricks are quick to learn and easy to perform. All materials are provided on-site. Each child will receive a magic kit at the end of class. Participants are grouped by age and learn age-appropriate tricks. New tricks are taught at each session, so sign up again and again!
Note: These classes take place at Arlington Heights Park District.
Location: Arlington Heights Park District
Age: 5-12yrs.
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Wed | 6:30-7:25 pm | Jun 21 | $25/$30 |
Smart Start Art
Explore your artistic side with the Smart Art Program from Afterschool Enrichment Solutions. Discover your creativity and imagination as an artist, develop fine-motor skills, style, and vision as we explore different artistic techniques through a variety of inspiring projects and play fun, exciting games. Sketch and draw, shade and color, cut, glue for create! No experience necessary.
Location: Burning Bush Community Center-RTPD
Grade: K-3
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Mon-Fri | 3:30-4:30 pm | Jul 17-21 | $112/$132 |
SafeSitter Courses
Do you feel ready to stay home alone, watch your brothers and sisters while your parents are gone, or babysit for younger children? Safe Sitter® is for kids and young teens in grades 4–8 ready to learn the skills needed to care for themselves and younger children. Safe Sitter® also teaches young teens life and business skills to be prepared, responsible, and considerate whether they are babysitting or doing odd jobs for family, friends, or neighbors. You’ll have fun and learn a lot. At the end of the day, you can proudly say, “I am a Safe Sitter®!”
Safe@Home
Grade: 4-6
Location: Burning Bush Community Center
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Sat | 10-11:30am | Jun 24 | $38/$46 |
Intro to Safe Babysitting
Grade: 6-8
Location: Burning Bush Community Center
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Sat | 10-11:30am | Jul 15 | $38/$46 |
Animation Workshop
Let’s explore the world of animation. In this class, students will learn about different 2D techniques, such as stop-motion animation, creating a cartoon strip or software that will bring life to images. As animators, directors, and producers, the only limitation is your imagination.
Ages: 7-12
Location: Mt. Prospect Park District
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Mon-Thu | 6-7:30pm | Jun 15-15 | $120/$140 |
Reading with Robots
It’s story time with a twist! Once upon a time… “Pete the Cat” meets our Robot Bee Bot, “Give a Mouse a Cookie” with Colby the Robot, and many more adventures. This fun, hands-on class will feature a different story and robot every week. Children will learn to program and code a robot to create their own exciting adventure!
Ages: 4-6yrs
Location: Prospect Heights Park District
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Mon-Thu | 6-7:15pm | Jun 26-29 | $100/$120 |
Beginning FUN-gineering
Young engineers will build working models of simple machines such as a seesaw, a rolling vehicle, and hockey player using Lego Educational Kits. Children will have a great time working on activities designed around creativity, exploring, investigating, and problem-solving in a fun group environment! While building these fun and interactive models, they will learn about levers, pulleys, gears, wheels, and axles.
Ages: 4-6yrs
Location: Weiss Community Center-RTPD
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Mon | 6-7pm | Apr 3-24 | $80/$96 |
STEAM
This exciting program from Afterschool Enrichment Solutions brings together elements of science, art, and math in a hands-on, action-packed environment! Students will conduct experiments, play educational games, and unlock their creativity through building challenges and projects. No experience necessary!
Grade: K-5
Location: Burning Bush Community Center-RTPD
| Day | Time | Date | Fee (R/NR) |
| Mon-Fri | 3:30-4:30pm | Jun 26-30 | $118/$138 |
Children’s Theatre
A musical theatre workshop culminates in a showcase featuring age-appropriate excerpts! Students will learn the basics of vocal technique, choreography, and acting while working together to produce an in-class performance for family and friends. The showcase will take place during the last 30 minutes of our final class.
Grade: K-6
Location: Burning Bush Community Center
Days: Monday-Friday
Dates: July 10-14
$29R/$35N per day
Monday, July 10
Improve Olympics: We will compete in a series of improv games that are sure to keep the campers on their toes! Everyone will work on an original skit that will be performed at the end of the day. Costumes will help to bring the skit and the campers imagination to life!
Tuesday, July 11
The Voice: Do you want to be a contender? Each camper will have the chance to be a contestant. They will choose from songs to perform, learn choreography, and create skits. The rest of the group will be judges. Watch out for top competition–all just for fun!
Wednesday, July 12
Starstruck: The camp group will get to choose a theme for the day (rockstar, princess, superhero, etc…). Create an original mini musical and explore the world of play by cultivating curiosity through theatre. Of course props and costumes will help make the show extra special!
Thursday, July 13
Hip Hop Party: Come learn new dance moves in a fun, high-energy setting to age appropriate music. There will be a chance to work on improv skills as the group creates and learns new moves. See you on the dance floor!
Friday, July 14
Lights, Camera, Action: The campers will learn audition techniques, character creation, and write their very own commercial. The commercial will be filmed to learn the different kinds of camera shots used for commercials. Come build your on-camera confidence!
